6 ms·

If I were running an offshore call center (or writing software to support them), I’d be sweating bullets, right now. This may not be the thing that kills them,

If I were running an offshore call center (or writing software to support them), I’d be sweating bullets, right now. This may not be the thing that kills them, but it’s only a matter of time. This is also entirely predictable. We’ve known this was coming, for at least two years.

anonzzzies 1y ago
It already sank their revenues in the past decade as 'support bots' were a thing before chatgpt but now it's far better, for some definition of better. But all services I used before 2020 already had 'chat bots' and that killed very many call centers / revenue then already and that's accelerating now. Now you can (for some definition of 'can') instruct the llm to ONLY escalate when nothing else works which enables many companies to get their in house staff to handle those few.
tomp 1y ago
As someone who has been literally involved in this business (AI support), not very successfully unfortunately, I wouldn't. They're literally the best suited companies to take full advantage of this new technology! They have existing customer relationships, training manuals, past call recordings (== training data), and enough humans for fallback / oversight (often legally required!) But yeah, you have to continue being entrepreneurial or risk being replaced by being complacent
- ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago
  Thanks for the perspective. You make good points. You know the managers for that industry, better than I. If you are confident that they will get on the new wave, then I stand corrected.
  - pogue 1y ago
    I just posted this a few days ago, but the corporate people at the top won't look at it from a technical perspective, I'm sure. They'll look at how much they can save the company by quicky implementing the latest & greatest AI solution and lay off the people working there. >> It has gotten to a point that the use of AI has turned life into a literal Kafkaesque nightmare. How soon will AI take the place of customer service for actual necessary services like calling your local DMV to make an appointment or even taking over 911 services? The promises made by AI companies about this software making our lives easier has merely become a drive to implement AI into every possible facet of life, not to benefit anyone, but to drive up profits. Full post/context: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45708816 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45708816
    - ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago
      Thanks. Some of those examples are depressing (but also, very human).

anonzzzies 1y ago

It already sank their revenues in the past decade as 'support bots' were a thing before chatgpt but now it's far better, for some definition of better. But all services I used before 2020 already had 'chat bots' and that killed very many call centers / revenue then already and that's accelerating now. Now you can (for some definition of 'can') instruct the llm to ONLY escalate when nothing else works which enables many companies to get their in house staff to handle those few.

tomp 1y ago

As someone who has been literally involved in this business (AI support), not very successfully unfortunately, I wouldn't. They're literally the best suited companies to take full advantage of this new technology! They have existing customer relationships, training manuals, past call recordings (== training data), and enough humans for fallback / oversight (often legally required!) But yeah, you have to continue being entrepreneurial or risk being replaced by being complacent

ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago
Thanks for the perspective. You make good points. You know the managers for that industry, better than I. If you are confident that they will get on the new wave, then I stand corrected.
- pogue 1y ago
  I just posted this a few days ago, but the corporate people at the top won't look at it from a technical perspective, I'm sure. They'll look at how much they can save the company by quicky implementing the latest & greatest AI solution and lay off the people working there. >> It has gotten to a point that the use of AI has turned life into a literal Kafkaesque nightmare. How soon will AI take the place of customer service for actual necessary services like calling your local DMV to make an appointment or even taking over 911 services? The promises made by AI companies about this software making our lives easier has merely become a drive to implement AI into every possible facet of life, not to benefit anyone, but to drive up profits. Full post/context: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45708816 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45708816
  - ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago
    Thanks. Some of those examples are depressing (but also, very human).